Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much community rehabilitation companies paid back in service credits in each year since 2015.

I cannot provide this information because it is commercially sensitive.

We hold providers rigorously to account for their performance and take action wherever they are falling short. Our contract management teams closely monitor and robustly manage providers to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to maintain service delivery, reduce reoffending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer. Service Credits can be applied when providers do not meet the required standards. Service Credits are a payment made by the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) back to the Government, as a means of compensating for services under the contract where the CRC fails to meet the contractual service levels expected.